Passports with ‘X’ sex markers will be valid until they expire or are renewed, State Department says
The State Department issued new guidance on passports with “X” sex markers and applications that request to change a passport sex marker, according to a memo reviewed by NBC News.
The State Department issued new guidance on passports with “X” sex markers and applications that request to change a passport sex marker, according to a memo reviewed by NBC News.
The new guidance comes after the State Department suspended all applications for passports and CRBAs, which are birth records for U.S. citizens born abroad, that request an “X” sex marker or a sex marker change, following a memo last month from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The policy change resulted in widespread confusion, particularly among the transgender community, about whether passports with an “X” sex marker would be valid for international travel or even confiscated.
According to the new memo, passports and Consular Report of Birth Abroad records that have already been issued with an “X” sex marker are valid until replaced or expired. Travelers who were issued passports with “X” markers within the last year can request to replace them at no cost for passports with a binary “F” or “M” sex marker by submitting a correction form.
The guidance applies to all in-progress passport applications and any future applications received as of last Friday, the memo states.
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